Cover Story

As four chief ministers—three of them first-timers, the fourth serving a second innings—step up to take charge of their states after gruelling electoral battles, a look at the imperatives before each one

The divisive rhetoric of the poll campaign over, Suvendu Adhikari gets down to the task of providing inclusive governance, while bringing industry and jobs to the state

The next act demands more than stardom: Vijay must now build the team, the systems and the governance model to deliver the change he promised

Political dominance secured, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma now faces the harder task in his second term of delivering jobs, economic growth and inclusive governance

Vijay's onscreen persona was cast in the mould actors-turned-politicians of yore had set in Tamil Nadu—as champion of the oppressed

As the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP vanquishes Mamata to take Bengal, the inside story of the relentless determination, deliberate strategy and flawless execution that led to the saffron sweep

The Kerala voter hands the congress-led UDF a huge mandate, punishing the Left Front for its complacency and overconfidence

Behind the BJP's third straight victory lies Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's welfare expansion, constituency redrawing and identity consolidation, which have tilted Assam's politics in his favour

N. Rangasamy's great connect with voters helps NDA smash the fragmented congress-led challenge

How India can prevent the new Anthropic autonomous AI model from disrupting banks and financial infrastructure

Developing a strong, indigenous AI architecture is the only answer to the looming threat that Mythos-like models pose to India's sprawling defence networks

After the opposition blocks the speedy implementation of the historic women's reservation legislation, a roadmap to break the impasse

A DMK chief minister chasing the dream of a second consecutive term, an AIADMK boss out to reclaim his party's legacy, and a maverick superstar bent on playing spoilsport, Tamil Nadu gears for an epic battle

Amidst a tenuous two-week lull in the Iran war, the region assesses the damage already done and rethinks its security dependencies

Regional heavyweights lead the charge in four key state elections of national import